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Celebrating the university’s intercultural diversity at the annual International Diversity Festival

23 September 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo UFS Photo Archive

Intercultural competencies encompass the ability to effectively interact within different cultural settings, create awareness of the interconnectedness of global issues, consider different perspectives, and understand the dynamics of multicultural settings to work and communicate more effectively.

With great fanfare, colour, song, and spoken word, the UFS Office for International Affairs celebrated Heritage Month with its annual International Diversity Festival, focusing on cultural competencies in higher education institutions.

Two festival dialogues took place on the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses – also marking a first-of-its-kind for the former.

The 2022 UFS Sing-Off winners BEYKGISTA serenaded the audience with artistic renditions, and the International Offices’ Simba Matema closed the festival off with a solo performance to remember.

Creating rich spaces for intercultural competency development

The first leg of the festival took place on the Qwaqwa Campus on 19 September 2022, with the dialogue addressing the principles of intercultural education in higher education institutions and the importance of driving the understanding and teaching of intercultural skills and competencies in institutions of higher learning.

Bringing a student perspective, two Qwaqwa-based students also shared their thoughts on the significance of intercultural education on our campuses.

The audience was treated to the lovely traditional sounds of the Qwaqwa Campus gospel and diversity choir.

The second leg took place on the Bloemfontein Campus on 22 September 2022, where the focus was on key drivers of cultural awareness at an institution of higher learning, as well as intercultural competencies as key enablers for growth and success in society.

Wrapping up the festival, Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier, Director of the International Office, said it was crucial for staff and students to work towards creating opportunities for intercultural competency and exposure.

“We have opportunities to learn inside and outside the classroom, but it is our choice whether we take that up. We need to be intentional about creating opportunities and building rich spaces for intercultural exchanges on campuses, but it is for every student and colleague to decide to take this initiative and participate.”

To catch the festivals, follow this link for the Qwaqwa Campus:

For the Bloemfontein Campus click here.

News Archive

New residences open on Bloemfontein Campus

2013-01-21

Photo: Johan Roux
21 January 2013

Beginning 2013, the Bloemfontein Campus is seeing the opening of two new residences where male and female students will be housed under one roof but in separate units. Each residence will house 250 students.

House ConLaurês and House Outeniqua were opened for their first-years and Residence Committee (RC) on Friday 18 January 2013. The two newly Residence Heads, Mr Frank Makhabane (ConLaurês) and Mrs Leani Wimble (Outeniqua) welcomed the new residents.

The uniqueness of these residences is that they will be the first co-ed residences on campus. These residences are wheel chair friendly with fully equipped disabled rooms available. All signage has also been done in Braille. Each floor of the new residences has two lounges, as well as a fully fitted kitchen.

The Prime of House ConLaurês, Sherilyn Roelofse, says, “We aim to create a living space that is holistic and welcoming and will allow our residence members to be able to excel in a number of things”. Sherilyn says ConLaurês comes from the word “Condo Laurus”, which means dreams of victory. The House’s slogan is “The Symphony of Dreams”. Students came up with the name for the residence.

Tsatsi Mokoena, RC member responsible for RAG at House ConLaurês says RC members have been working hard for the past few months, trying to imagine how to do things without a physical structure. ConLaurês will be a residence with an inspirational living space where each student feels welcome, respected for who they are and at home, so that they will have the confidence to follow their dreams.”

The Prime of Outeniqua, Vusumzi Mesatywa says, “Change is always welcome and that is the mindset that we will be embracing as the new residences. When a student graduates, we need them to graduate not only as academics, but also as humans, holistic beings”.

Marla Stanier, RC First-Year Mentor at Outeniqua, says that new experiences await every student that walks through the doors of the residence. “As excited as we are, this new experience will test us in many ways.However, if we stand together as one, we will succeed.”

Mr Quintin Koetaan, Director of Housing and Residence Affairs, says, “The opening of ConLaurês and Outeniqua is a dream come true, providing accommodation for a new generation of students in the 21st Century”.

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